Which to use
“mores” and “moths” are a confusable English pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,254
- “mores” frequency rank
- #22,157
- “moths” frequency rank
- 58411
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | mores | moths |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | A set of moral norms or customs derived from generally accepted practices rather than written laws. | plural of moth |
Where the eye mixes mores and moths
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. mores (CVCVC) and moths (CVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between mores and moths
A purely visual mix-up. mores (/ˈmɔːɹeɪz/) and moths (/mɔθs/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58411, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
mores is recorded at frequency rank #36,254, classified as anoun, pronounced /ˈmɔːɹeɪz/. moths is at rank #22,157, tagged as anoun, pronounced /mɔθs/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 58411, this pair ranks #112,769 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of mores vs moths
Shared letters: mos. Private to "mores": er. Private to "moths": ht.
"mores" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "moths" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "mores" for "moths" ever safe?
Which is more common, "mores" or "moths"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "mores" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "moths" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #112,769 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "mores" and "moths" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "mores vs Moresby". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #112,769 of 530,003 scored English pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.